Workmen's advocate., 1887-05-07
WOMEN AND WORK.

In an address printed in the Philonthyopist, Emily Blackwell, M. D., of New York, considered the social and economic condition of women, and expressed herself as fol, lows upon those of the sex who are compelled to work for a living:
 "No man can fully appreciate the in- dustrial misery of women upon whom devolves the necessity of earning sup port for themselves or others. As work in all it's forms is still considered deroga- tory to women, the necessity they are under to work removes them at once, more or less completely, from the only class to which full social respect, esteem and protection are accorded. At the same time they are regarded as inter lopers in the world of industry It is somewhat discreditable for them to be there; they are unwelcome intruders in sphere properly belonging to men. Hard work, miserable pay, a monotonous life, and more or less social stigma, is the general lot. They themselves have imbibed the popular ideas of what is de- sirabe for women, and regard it as the great object of life to be supported by some one else. to escape from the neces- sity of work, and they do not fully re- spect either themselves or their fellow workers.
 ''They have no leaders among them AnIyal In xunrl. thay ,,pInr bn l rection of, and dependent on, the pleas ure of men, who do not respect them as they do masculine workers, nor regard them as entitled to the consideration due non-working women. They are outside the pale both socially and industrially, and are fair prey in both capacities. They are separated by an impossible gulf from the richer women, who should naturally be their leaders; they have no habit or power of combination among themselves. Each one, ignorant and in- experienced, struggles along unaided, and has no expectation of aid or support un- less it comes to her from some man. Every working girl soon learns that she has higher immediate value as an arti- cle of merchandise than as a worker, and that the men who are insolent taskmas ters to her in that capacity have fair words and money for her in another di- rection.
 "For there is one profession for women which is never full; one occupation which has its agents, with bribes and temptations, always at hand. Nor does virtue bring the same reward to the poor that it does to the rich It does not save them from contumely, from the sense of being socially at disadvantage. There may be discrcdit in want of purity but there is no special merit in it. To win the appreciation and admiration of men IS the more or less avowed object of the education of girls. Obedi- ence, self-repression, tact, elf-devotion are drilled into them early and endlessly Moral courage, selfrespect, independ ence, are indirectly discouraged.
 Dr. Emily Blackwell has diag- nosed the case of the workwomen themselves, but she fails to point out the underlying causes of their unfortunate position. And, judg- ing from the remedy she recon mends, one may conclude that she has not even looked farther than the personality of her patients. While the Doctor has even seen and men. toned that hard work and poor pay is the lot of the working women, she seems rather to consider those things incidental and subsecutive to the lack of moral courage and independ ence of the women. That being the case We cannot wonder that the fol- lowing recipe is given;
 "There is work to be done amons women parallel to that done by tn, White Cross Society among men. As tt these we preach the duties of purity self-restraint and consideration for oth CTS, so we need to arouse women to tn, value of courage, self-respect, and . sense of responsibility to their common womanhood."
 We find no fault with preaching per SC, but what would the Doctor preach? The value of courage and self-respect, As factions speak louder than words" so society GUS toms and hungry stomachs are nor, potent than preaching the virtues | And while Dr. Blackwell recon.